The ground may have been dampened by the rainfall, but people’s spirits weren’t as they came together April 26 to celebrate Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library’s (BHML) 8th annual Earth Day Fest.  

“This isn't necessarily an event that people might associate with the library ... but I think (we) are a great organization to bring other organizations together,” said BHML Programs & Technology Manager Bethany Schmidt.

The fest has bloomed over the years, attracting a loyal audience that was still eager to turn out despite the downpour. The associations taking part have also increased, with 14 different booths this year, said Schmidt.

The roster included Bigelow Laboratory, Boothbay Region Clean Drinking Water Initiative, Boothbay Region Climate Action Team, Boothbay Region High School Interact Club, Boothbay Region Land Trust, Boothbay Sea & Science Center, Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Healthy Lincoln County, Knox-Lincoln Soil & Water Conservation District, Maine State Aquarium, Neighborhood Naturalist, New England Aquarium, Pedego Boothbay Harbor and Pollination Station. 

To raise environmental awareness, there was a plethora of interactive activities. In front of Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens' booth, a large soil container beckoned people to pot their own flower seeds. Meanwhile, Boothbay Region Climate Action Team had a mini recycling activity and a map of floodplains to demonstrate which local areas will be impacted by rising sea levels and storm surges.                                                        

One of the most popular with kids was Boothbay Region Land Trust’s “touch table” with faux animal furs and locally found artifacts (bones, nests, porcupine quills, lichens and cones). Children also got to dissect sanitized owl pellets; the compacted, regurgitated remains of meals owls can’t digest, such as fur, bones and teeth. Environmental educator Tracy Hall explained the table’s goal was to highlight the sensory experiences of nature.

“We believe that connecting kids to the outdoors provides the next generation with that excitement about preserving these beautiful places, and as a land conservation organization, that's a big part of our mission,” she said. 

Across the way, Maine State Aquarium boasted sea animal stencils created by their interning university students. Maine Department of Marine Resources, which owns and operates the aquarium, is working on two marine life studies, according to aquarium director Dottie Yunger. One project tracks shark activity in the Gulf of Maine, which gives scientists information on shark migration habits, and allows them to send out advisories in the case of a shark sighting near beaches.  

The other study tracks lobster life cycles. Scientists are working to refine the process of putting tags about as big as a piece of glitter into stage 4 larval lobsters (who are about thumbnail size).  

“The more information scientists have about every stage of (a lobster's) life, where they are, what habitats they're in, the better we can protect them,” said Yunger.  

Yunger’s sentiment of protection was echoed by other organization representatives. For them, the fest wasn't just about celebrating the Earth, but also about making a commitment to protect and foster it for the future.